Ostbeauftragter: Frau Merkel's cooler

So now there's a Ostbeauftragten. But hardly anyone knows Michael Stübgen.

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Page 1 — Frau Merkel's cooler

Page 2 — too unobtrusive?

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In previous week, self-reported experts of Brandenburg state politics had to try Wikipedia. The name of man who CDU wants to make to Ostbeauftragten of federal government leaked: Michael Stübgen from Elbe-Elster-upper spree forest-Lausitz II constituency. This would have been agreed by representatives of East German CDU Bundestag deputies. Chancellor Angela Merkel has already agreed to proposal.

Michael who again-from where again?

It is surprising that a widely unknown is taking over this office. The Ostbeauftragte of federal government was never as important as se days, at least for CDU. Because party has a problem: because none of its future ministers is Ossi, promise of appointing a "strong Ostbeauftragten" has been made all more vigorously-whom one also asked. A Ostbeauftragten with energy and influence. It sounded like only a real authority could be called into question.

Michael Stübgen so: The new East Authority? The Personalie is not officially confirmed yet. But it would have been union Bundestag group chief Volker Kauder, designated economic minister Peter Altmaier and Saxony's prime minister, Michael Kretschmer, who have spoken for him, tell CDU people. And basically matter is decided.

The astonishing thing is that Michael Stübgen has not so far been a vocal representative of East German interests. He says, one of his CDU Bundestag colleagues, "a quiet hardworking worker in Chancellor's Vineyard".

What explains his ascent?

Before you can speak to Michael Stübgen personally, search for his tracks in newspaper archives is worthwhile. Today, 58-year-old has made a bodies in GDR before he studied ology and became a pastor. Then came peaceful revolution, Stübgen went to Bundestag. Since n, he has been a member – as long as few ors. In his group, Stübgen has positions which testify to a certain recognition, but which are hardly perceived in public: he leads Brandenburg regional group and is a European political spokesman. His last crunchy sentence on East German topics fell in dispute over question of which company is allowed to produce original "Spreewald cucumbers": "I will not allow our domestic economy to sacrifice massive economic interests of Western corporations Will, "he said. That was 1998. Since n: hardly anything programmatic anymore.

This article comes from time No. 11/2018. Here you can read entire output.

There are very different views on what a Ostbeauftragter has to offer. This is because official description of task is spongy. He or she shall "ensure in all decisions and measures of federal government that specific interests of East Germans are appropriately taken into account". The one understands this: Ostbeauftragte must be an energetic advocate of Ossis, because precisely because he does not have his own sphere of power, his power must be word. In or words, a Ostbeauftragter can only speak well. That is why he must be able to speak well. And thus become identification figure.

But re are also people who find: a Ostbeauftragter does not have to talk about new countries on a talk shows, but in background – in ministries and in Parliament – to make sure that region is not too short. As a clever lawyer. Ingo Senftleben belongs to those who see it this way, he is head of Brandenburg CDU and was apparently one of those who promoted Stübgens late career now. "A Ostbeauftragter is not re to mark difference between East and West uninterruptedly," says Senftleben, re really is no need for anor politician who "bounces excitedly through area" and is mainly hervortue by interviews. Stübgen have a lot of experience, be well connected and still in a region at home, which is just in focus: "Elbe-Elster-upper spree forest-Lusatia II". Behind this bulky constituency name lies basically southwest of Brandenburg. For such regions, word structural change was invented: Because here lignite is mined, yet. And here AfD has recently received strong voice results.

Senftleben had yet anor argument on his side: Brandenburg's CDU was always loyal to chancellor. For this, Stübgens nomination was now apparently a kind of reward.

Angela Merkel knows Michael Stübgen well, both of m were young East Germans when y moved to Bundestag in 1990. They both stood on stage in election campaign in princely forest in 2017, when Wutbürger began to whistle re and pictures made headlines. Even something like that welds toger. Merkel knows what she has not yet had to fear from Stübgen: public criticism. He was not noticed in internal rounds eir as a banner carrier or as a critic of Chancellor's agenda, says a CDU parliamentarian.